Megaphone cup

ABSTRACT

A hollow, frustoconical structure having a conical side wall concentric with its longitudinal axis, an end wall at the end of smaller diameter frangibly connected to the side wall at the smaller end, said end wall being sufficiently firmly attached to the side wall as to enable employing the structure as a container for beverages, snack foods and the like and, yet, easily removable to enable employing the structure as a megaphone.

REFERENCES CITED [REFERENCES BY]

U.S. Patent Documents 1079903 November 1913 Norton 206/518. 1332789March 1920 Asano 181/141. 1581972 April 1926 Mason 181/141. 2507843 May1950 Wheeler 229/1. 2982440 May 1961 Harrison 229/1. 3468467 September1969 Amberg 229/1. 3981412 September 1976 Asmus 220/258. 4125218November 1978 DeBoer 229/400. 5967405 October 1999 Hanauska 229/103.Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hokanson, Jack E.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Frustoconical containers comprised of plastic, stiff paperboard, or thelike have been made for many purposes heretofore; however, suchstructures as are known are manufactured for holding liquid or forfiltering or funneling purposes. The structure herein disclosed is forthe multiple purpose of serving, on the one hand, as a container forholding liquids or solids such as beverages, ice cream, popcorn, potatochips and the like and, on the other hand, following emptying, for useas a megaphone. This multiple use is especially attractive toconcessionaries for the sale of beverages, ice cream, popcorn, potatochips and the like.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A hollow, elongate structure of right circular section with respect toits longitudinal axis, said structure being defined by a relatively thinside wall concentric with the longitudinal axis and a relatively thinend wall at the smaller end detachably connected to the side wall at thesmaller end, said end wall comprising a bottom for the structure andbeing sufficiently firmly connected thereto so that the structure may beemployed as a receptacle for beverages, snack foods and the like, butwhich may be fractured at the connection to remove it fully or partiallyfrom said end, and said smaller end being so dimensioned that when theend wall is removed, said small end constituting a mouthpiece whichcorresponds substantially in diameter to the mouthpiece of aconventional megaphone so that the structure can be used as a megaphone.The side wall and bottom wall are formed integrally and the junctionconnecting the same is of reduced thickness such as to be frangible.Preferably, the bottom wall is spaced axially from the smaller diameterend toward the larger diameter end by an amount at least equal to thethickness of the bottom so that the structure will set stably on itslower end and, desirably, there is a reinforcing bead peripherally ofthe larger diameter end.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the structure shown resting on its lower,smaller-diameter end on a support for use as a container;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the structure showing its use as a megaphone;

FIG. 3 is a vertical diametral section of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view looking down into the open end of the structure;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view looking up at the bottom of the structureincluding an integral pull ring or tab which aids in removing the endsurface from the side surface;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section to much larger scale showing thejunction of the bottom with the side walls with a detail of a pull ringwhich aids in removing the end surface from the side surface; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section at the lower end of the structureshowing a detail of the joining of the end wall to the side surface;

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the structure standing on its wider open end,showing the smaller end still attached to the side surface;

FIG. 9 is an elevation of the structure standing on its wider open end,showing the smaller end being removed from the side surface by a pullring;

Referring to the drawings, the multiple purpose structure shown hereinis used, on the one hand, as shown in FIG. 1, as a container forbeverages and snack foods and, when used for such a purpose, can beplaced upright on its lower, smaller-diameter end on a supportingsurface 12. Following use as a container, as will appear hereinafter,the structure can be used as a megaphone, the smaller end being sodimensioned that it corresponds substantially in diameter to themouthpiece of a conventional megaphone, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The structure 10, FIGS. 1 and 3, is of frustoconical configuration,having a smooth side wall 14 which is concentric with its longitudinalaxis X—X and a smooth end wall 16 at its lower, smaller-diameter endwhich is connected to the side wall by a frangible connection 18, FIG.6, of lesser thickness than the thickness of the side and end walls.

The end and side walls are formed integral, for example, ofresin-impregnated paperboard or thermoplastic, such as polyolefin, andthe junction 18 is of lesser thickness and, hence, frangible so that theend wall can be removed is, nevertheless, sufficiently strong to enablefilling the structure with a beverage, ice cream, popcorn or peanuts,without rupture and, yet, sufficiently fragile so that when thecontainer is emptied of its contents, the bottom 16 can be removed by aintegral pull ring or tab 21, and the structure then used as a megaphoneby placing the smaller end to the mouth of the person using it.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom wall 16 is spaced inwardly from the lowerend by an amount d at least equal to the thickness of the bottom part ofthe bottom wall so that when the structure is placed on the supportingsurface, only the lower edge 19 of the side wall has contact with thesupporting surface 12, thus ensuring stability, and the portion of theside wall below the bottom wall is made approximately twice as thick asthe side wall above the bottom and rolled at its lower edge 19 so as toprovide a smooth, firm mouthpiece which will not chap or burn the lips.Desirably, a portion of the side wall at the lower end as indicated at amay be formed with a lesser taper, that is, more nearly cylindrical tobetter hold it to the mouth when using it as a megaphone. Forreinforcement purposes, the larger diameter upper end has peripherallythereof a bead 20.

The side wall thickness is approximately 0.030 inches, the bottom wallthickness is approximately 0.040 inches, and the junction connecting thebottom wall 16 to the side wall tapers from a thickness of approximately0.040 inches which is the thickness of the bottom wall to approximately0.010 inches where it joins the side wall. The overall dimensions, butwithout limitation, are an axial length of approximately 5½ inches, adiameter at the top of approximately 3½ inches, and a diameter at thebottom of approximately 2½ inches.

The structure, as previously indicated, can be made of resin-impregnatedpaperboard or of any suitable thermoplastic resin which may beblow-molded or injection-molded. Polyolefin has been already mentioned;however, linear polyethylene, polypropylene and any equivalent of theforegoing may be used.

The double use of the device as described and suitably decorated, forexample, with the colors or names of the participating teams, makes itespecially popular to concessionaires at sporting events in that itencourages the sale of beverages, ice cream, snack food and the likeand; to some extent, discourages immediate discard when it has beenemptied because of its secondary use as a megaphone and as a souvenirwhich can be taken home, thereby greatly reducing the problems of trashremoval.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and includes all modifications or improvementswhich fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A hollow frustoconical structure of circular right section withrespect to its longitudinal axis, said structure having ends which aredefined by rounded or straight edges concentric with said longitudinalaxis and which lie in planes perpendicular to said axis, such as toenable standing the structure upright on the smaller end in stableequilibrium and a closure member at the smaller end situated inwardlyfrom the rounded or straight edge forming a bottom for the structure toenable using the structure as a receptacle when set down upon itssmaller end, means detachably connecting the bottom to the wall of thestructure inwardly of said rounded or straight edge to enable removingthe bottom so that the structure may be used for a megaphone and saidsmaller end of the structure being consistent in diameter with thediameter of the mouthpiece of a conventional megaphone.
 2. A hollow,elongate, one-piece structure molded of polyolefin, said structurehaving a tapering side wall symmetrically with respect to itslongitudinal axis and being truncated at its smaller end in a planeperpendicular to said axis such that the edge of the side wall at thesmaller end serves as a base for supporting the structure in an uprightposition of stable equilibrium, said edge being smoothly rounded orstraight, an end wall at the smaller end situated inwardly of the planeof said smoothly rounded edge integrally connected to the side wall ofthe structure, said end wall forming a bottom for the structure when setupright on its truncated end to enable using the structure as areceptacle, a portion of reduced thickness connecting the end wall tothe side wall of the structure of sufficient strength to withstandpressure on the bottom when the structure is filled with liquid, butfrangible enough to enable detaching it from the side wall inwardly ofthe rounded edge by applying a force perpendicular to the bottom to openthe smaller end without modifying the rounded end structure of the sidewall at the smaller end as a mouthpiece for using the structure as amegaphone and wherein the smaller end is of a diameter consistent withthe mouthpiece of a conventional magaphone.